Dick Turpin (boxer)
Dick Turpin, (26 November 1920 – 7 July 1990) was an English middleweight boxer. He was British and Commonwealth middleweight champion, reputedly being the first black fighter to win a British boxing title.[1][2] He was elder brother and trainer of the more famous Randolph Turpin, who became world middleweight champion after beating Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951.[3]
| Dick Turpin | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Dick Turpin |
| Weight(s) | Middleweight |
| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 26 November 1920 Leamington Spa, England. |
| Died | 7 July 1990 (aged 69) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 104 |
| Wins | 77 |
| Wins by KO | 33 |
| Losses | 20 |
| Draws | 6 |
| No contests | 1 |
Dick was the son of Lionel Turpin who had been born in British Guyana and his wife, Beatrice Elizabeth Whitehouse. He had two brothers Jack, who was a featherweight and Randolph, a middleweight.
Professional career
Turpin fought his first professional bout in March 1939 against Jimmy Griffiths, in Coventry. He lost on points over ten rounds.
He went on to build up a domestic record of 86 fights with 68 wins, 12 losses, 5 draws and one no-contest, before his first title fight. This was for the Commonwealth middleweight title, in May 1948, and was against Richard Bos Murphy of New Zealand. Turpin won the fight, at Coventry, by a knockout in the first round to become Commonwealth champion.
In his next bout, on 28 June 1948, Turpin fought Vince Hawkins for his British middleweight title. The fight was held at Villa Park, Birmingham and Turpin won on points over fifteen rounds. He now held both the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles.
During late 1948 and early 1949, Turpin fought European boxers, drawing and then losing on points against Tiberio Mitri, of Italy, then being knocked out in seven rounds in a non-title fight against the then world middleweight champion, Marcel Cerdan, of France. He then won by a disqualification against another Frenchman, Robert Charron.
In June 1949, he defended his British and Commonwealth titles against Albert Finch, winning on points after fifteen rounds.
In September 1949, he defended his Commonwealth title against Australian, Dave Sands. The fight was at Harringay Arena, and Turpin was knocked out in the first round, and so only retained his British title.
Turpin then won his next four fights, losing the fifth, on points to the American, Baby Day, before defending his British title against Albert Finch, whom he had beaten in his previous defence. The fight was held in April 1950, in Nottingham and Finch won on points after fifteen rounds.
Having lost both his titles, Turpin had only two more fights, against the Belgian, Cyrille Delannoit, in Brussels, losing on a technical knockout in the sixth, and finally against his old rival Albert Finch, losing on a technical knockout in the eighth. This last fight was in July 1950.
Trainer
Turpin was the trainer of his more successful and famous brother Randolph, who beat Sugar Ray Robinson to take the world middleweight title in 1951.
Professional boxing record
| 33 fights | 28 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 0 |
| By decision | 17 | 3 |
| Draws | 2 | |
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References
- "Former champion to be remembered". Leamington Courier. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "On This Day: Dick Turpin becomes Britain's first mixed-race boxing champion | The Pugilist - Yahoo Sport". Uk.sports.yahoo.com. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- Weeks, Jim. "Breaking the Barrier: How Dick Turpin Became Britain's First Black Boxing Champion | FIGHTLAND". Fightland.vice.com. Retrieved 28 June 2016.